Dangerous
by dancingintherain01
Summary: AU. Caroline Forbes is a girl with a dangerous past. She knows this, and does her best to keep a distance from anyone who could potentially get hurt by that past. That is until she meets Klaus Mikaelson, who has her questioning everything she believes in.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! So, this is my first fanfiction. I love reading them and I really hope you all enjoy mine! This fic is sort of based on the movie "Prom Night" (for those of you who haven't seen it, it's really good), but it's more focused on the story after the movies, obviously with different characters. But I'll be quiet and let ya'll read now, and I really hope you enjoy it! I don't own anything. **

Chapter 1: Nightmares

_It feels like she's looking at everything in slow motion and she's powerless to stop it. She counts them: one, two, three. Three stabs is all it takes for that once shining light to slowly fade out of her mother's eyes. He slowly stands up, admiring his work for a couple of seconds before quickly walking out the door. It's not until she hears the door slam and the sirens wailing that she finally comes to. Crawling out from underneath the bed, she runs down the steps, throwing open the front door and waving her arms above her head. _

_"Help me! Please, stop!" she yells at the top of her lungs, but it's useless; the sirens are already starting to fade down the street as she simply stares after them. Turning around to go back in the house, she's met with the devil holding a knife in the air. _

_"I did it for us" is the last thing she hears before he brings the knife down._

"And then what happens?"

"I wake up...just like I always did."

Caroline Forbes was currently sitting at yet another, what she thought was pointless, therapy session. There was a special place in hell for whoever thought up the idea of one person getting paid for listening to another person's problems. She'd lost count of how many times Dr. Pierce had made her relay her dreams from the night before. But this time it was different. This particular dream was one she hadn't had in almost five years. And the last time she had it, the events that happened afterwards weren't exactly the highlights of her senior year.

"Well, like I told you before, it's expected for people to have nightmares of unpleasant experiences, as a way of reliving the real thing. And this would definitely fall under the category of an unpleasant experience" Dr. Pierce explained.

Sarcastically, Caroline said "yeah, I would think so. I've never heard of any other twenty-five year old who's ever gone through eight years of pure hell." Over those past eight years, sarcasm seemed to be the only thing that kept her from going completely crazy. Looking down at her twiddling thumbs, all traces of joking gone, she sighed. "They were gone for so long...I just thought they stopped."

"Caroline, I hate to break it to you, but these nightmares, these..flashbacks are never really going to ever go away" Dr. Pierce spoke sympathetically. "Psychological trauma is often heightened during times of transition. You had them right before graduating high school and now, right before starting your first real job". Caroline gave her a tight smile, just the thought of her new job sending butterflies through her stomach. Glancing down, the scar on her forearm caught her eye, sending her mind back five years.

Katherine, noticing her distraction, took Caroline's hand, rubbing the back of it with her thumb. Katherine's hard gaze caught Caroline's teary eyes before saying "the memories of those nights will come and go and fade with time...but you will never forget them."

Giving Katherine a hug and saying goodbye, Caroline grabbed her purse and headed to her car. Getting in the driver's seat, she sat there for what seemed like hours. She always did this after her sessions with Katherine, just wanting to clear her mind before heading back to her apartment. One thing Caroline could admit was that she got incredibly lucky by getting Katherine as her doctor. She was a perfect mix between kind and blunt. She always told it like was, but was never mean about it. Over the last eight years, Caroline didn't just think of Katherine as her doctor, but as one of her best girlfriends.

Sitting for another minute, Caroline finally started the car, turned on the radio, and began the drive home.

**So, is it terrible? Do I monumentally suck at this? Reviews would be much appreciated!**

**The therapy sessions won't be present in every chapter, but there will be more of them. I love the Caroline and Katherine dynamic, so I wanna keep them talking. I plan on having some klaroline moments in the next chapter so stay tuned for those! We'll see glimpses into Caroline's past as the stroy progresses, so hopefully those will keep you interested! xoxo **


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I was definitely not expecting anyone to follow this story, but I am so grateful for those of you who did! Ya'll made my morning a little bit better. So, I know I said there would be some klaroline moments in this chapter, but the way it played out, the chapter would've just had too much in it if I had put them in it. But I will say they will be together in the next chapter, no doubt. Thank you guys so much and hope you enjoy!**

Arriving home, Caroline dropped her keys in the bowl on the table and hung her purse on the hook above it. She opened the drawer of that same table, checking to make sure her nine millimeter was still there. Caroline had a gun in every single one of her tables around the apartment. Call her paranoid, but she had been caught by surprise too many times and she was not about to go unprotected...not this time. Seeing that she had three new messages on her answering machine, she went over to the phone and pressed play.

"You have three new messages; message number one" she heard the answering machine say before she heard: "Hey, Care. It's Elena. Just wanted to check in. I haven't talked to you in a while, and I know you have big day ahead of you tomorrow. Call me when you can. Love you."

Elena was probably the only person who could even remotely know how Caroline felt, considering she'd been through some of what Caroline had been through. They'd been best friends since second grade, and Elena was actually the one who'd recommended Katherine as her doctor. Katherine was Elena's older sister and they could basically pass for twins, which they have on a few occasions. Deciding she would call Elena back before she went to bed, she continued listening.

"Message number two: Hi, sweetheart. It's aunt Karen. Just wanted to wish you good luck tomorrow. I know you'll do great and your mom and dad would be so proud of you. Let us know how it goes. Love you."

Oh, aunt Karen and uncle Jack. Always worried about how she was doing, which was definitely to be expected. They'd taken Caroline in after her parents had been...had died. Her parents were not exactly a topic Caroline liked to think about. But Karen and Jack had brought Caroline in like she was their own, without dishonoring her parents memory, and that was something she would be eternally grateful for.

Remembering she had one last message, she froze when she heard the voice on the other end.

"Message number three: Caroline." There was a pause as the person on the other end hesitated. "I've been meaning to call you for a while, but it seems like something always got in the way. But if I'm being honest with myself, I could have tried a little harder to call you. I spoke with your aunt the other day; she tells me you're starting your first job tomorrow. That's really great, kid and I know you'll do great. I'm real proud of you...your parents would be real proud, too. Well, hopefully I won't wait as long to call you next time. Good luck, kid."

She stood there, just staring at the phone. Alaric Saltzman. Or Ric, for those few people who had known him long enough and Caroline was one of those few. She hadn't talked to him in almost two years and she was perfectly fine with that. Not that she was upset with him, but because every time Caroline heard his voice, it was like she was a high school freshman all over again. Ric had been the lead detective in Caroline's case, so he'd practically become like her family. But speaking to him just brought on a slew of memories that Caroline didn't like remembering.

Shaking her head, she deleted all the messages and wrote herself a reminder to call Elena later. She walked over to the fridge and pulled out the leftover chinese food from the night before and stuck it in the microwave. While waiting for that to heat up, she went to her room and changed into her pajamas. Taking off her shirt, she caught sight of her reflection in the full-length mirror in the corner. Throughout her life, Caroline had always been told how beautiful she, whether it was her eyes, her body, or just simply her face. But looking in the mirror now, she felt she looked like a broken doll. Her eyes weren't as blue and her body was especially not what it used to be. One scar across her left shoulder, one across her right forearm, one right above her belly button, and the worst one of all: an X right over her heart.

_"No matter how many men come after me, they'll always know that I have your heart."_

And as of right now, he did.

Slipping on her pajamas, temporarily forgetting the scars, she grabbed her food and started where she left off in "Castle." Over the last couple months, it had become one of her favorite shows, probably because of how much her and Kate Beckett had in common. A hard-ass woman with a dangerous past, who's put up so many walls, not even Miley's wrecking ball could knock them down. But on thing they didn't have in common was the witty knight in shining armor who accepts her past and wants nothing more than to break down those walls. But even if someone like that came along, Caroline would never let them get close enough to do that. She learned a long time ago that anyone who ever gets close to her ends up getting hurt, or worse.

Noticing that she'd been watching TV for almost five hours, and knowing she had an early morning ahead, she turned the television off, threw away the empty cartons, and headed for the phone to call Elena back. Worrying that it was too late and was already asleep, Caroline was relieved when she heard Elena pick up.

"Took you long enough."

"Nice to hear from you, too" Caroline said while chuckling.

"Well I haven't talked to you in almost a month, and then you wait until ten o'clock at night to call me back." Caroline could tell she was joking, but she could still hear the slightest bit of hurt in her voice.

Caroline sighed, "I know, I know, I'm a terrible person, But let's not forget that a phone works both ways. You could have called me, too."

Scoffing, Elena said "well, I did, so I win. Now, on to more important things. Are excited and ready for tomorrow? Or are you nervous and dreading it?"

Thinking about it for a moment, Caroline said "a little bit of both, I guess. I'm finally getting to do what I love, but there's always the possibility that I'll epically fail and fall flat on my face."

Elena didn't say anything for a while, and for a moment, Caroline thought maybe she agreed with her. Before Caroline could dwell on it for too long, Elena confidently spoke: "Caroline Forbes, you've been through eight years of nothing but heartache and death. No one alive today can say they've been through half of what you have. This job? It's the first good thing that's happened to you since that son of a bitch came into your life and took everything from you." Caroline winced slightly when she said that, but let her continue. "You are going to blow everyone away, and no one's gonna know what hit them when they meet you. Stop being scared, Caroline. Stop letting him win."

Realizing that she had began crying, Caroline wiped away the tears that had escaped.

"You, Elena Pierce, are, without a doubt, the best friend a girl could ask for."

Elean laughed on the other end and said "well, it's about time you figured that out. But I think there's one exception to that."

Both girls became quiet after that, remembering that one exception. However, Elena started laughing when she suddenly heard Caroline start yawning.

"Well, you're not going kill that job if I keep you up all night. I'll let you get some sleep. Love you, Care. Goodnight."

"Love you, too, Elena. Goodnight."

Caroline hung up the phone and headed to her bedroom. Checking for the gun in her bedside table, she awaited what was sure to be another nightmare-filled sleep.

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It would be harder this time. There was no air vent to crawl out of. There was no cell mate to use as a distraction. No, this time he was in a box. A transparent box that was only visited by the officer who brought him his food everyday. This time would be more difficult, but he had to see her. It had been too long since he saw her face, her blonde hair, or those blue eyes that made everything okay, as long as he was looking at them. This time would be more difficult, but for her it was worth it. To see Caroline again, it would all be worth it.

**So, I really value opinions and I'm not opposed to constructive ****critisism whatsoever. If you guys have ideas for plot lines you would like to see, please feel free to let me know. This story isn't gonna drag on and on, but I don't want to tell you all the secrets right away, so we'll see more of both Caroline and Elena's past. Leave me some review thanks so much for reading! xoxo**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! I know I have been spoiling ya'll with the fast updates. I can't promise that they'll continue like this, because I do go to school five days a week and I do work. But as long as I can update this fast, I will! As I promised, we do get our first klaroline interaction in this chapter! It was a lot of fun to write and I really hope ya'll like the way they meet. The next chapter will most likely be the chapter where we start to see more into Caroline's past (I know, I've said that over and over again). Thank you for following this story and I hope you enjoy!**

The sound of her alarm clock going off at 5:30 a.m. was definitely not what Caroline wanted to hear right now. It had been another restless night, of nightmares consisting of dead bodies and bloodcurdling screams. Turning over, she hit the snooze button and forced herself to get out of bed. She made her way to the kitchen, where the coffeemaker was currently calling her name. She poured herself a heavy amount and went over to her closet to pick out her outfit. After what felt like forever, she chose a pair of black dress pants, a black blazer, a light teal tank top with flounced ruching at the bottom, and her new Jimmy Choo boots. Putting her mug in the sink, she showered, put on some light makeup, and left her hair down in her natural curls.

"You've got this. No one can take this away from you. They chose you for reason and you're gonna show them why." Squaring her shoulders and fixing a few stray hairs, she let out a huge sigh and walked out the door.

Ever since Caroline had picked up her first edition of "Cosmopolitan" magazine, Caroline had fallen in love with journalism. Whether it was a gossip magazine or the New York Times, she would read and read until her mother or father took them away from her. In high school, the newspaper committee was one of the only things that got her through those hellish four years. After graduating, she was able to get a scholarship to Chicago State University. Not that she didn't love her hometown of Mystic Falls, Virginia, but she had needed a change of scenery after living there for eighteen years. Majoring in journalism, she interned at the Chicago Tribune her senior year. Her boss, Finn Mikaelson, was so impressed with her, a couple months after her internship was over, he offered the the open 'Ask Amy' section of the paper. She accepted immediately, packed her stuff, and moved to Chicago. Aunt Karen and Uncle Jack had been hesitant to let her go, but they knew this was what she wanted.

They really weren't kidding when they said Chicago was the windy city. As soon as Caroline got out of the cab, it felt like she had just stepped into her own personal tornado. Walking into the building, she flashed her i.d. to the guard security officer on guard and made her way over to the elevator. Pressing the up arrow, she waited for the doors to open.

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"Finn, I just don't understand why his story made the front page and mine didn't. I'm pretty sure more people care about the risks and benefits of Obamacare, than a crackhead, suffering from withdrawals, killing her husband." Klaus was livid that Kol had, yet again, made the front page over him. Hell, he was only an intern, for God's sake. Klaus had been working at the Tribune for over a year and still hadn't made the front page. He thought for sure with Obamacare being one of the top stories in the country, he would easily have the top headline. Once Klaus saw that he hadn't, and more importantly hid younger brother had, he immediately went to see Finn.

Finally turning around after ten minutes of his little brother's whining, and nearly making Klaus run into him, Finn, clearly irritated said "And I'm pretty sure you're right."

"Then what is the problem? Did I do something to upset you? Because if that's the case, I'll be damned if-"

"Niklaus!" Finn interrupted before he could go any farther. "This has nothing to do with us. It's about you and you're writing."

Surprised, Klaus took a step back, not understanding what Finn meant. "What about my writing?"

"A story is only as interesting as the person writing it makes it. When I hired you, I was constantly getting complaints that hiring you was strictly out of nepotism. The only reason I ignored all those complaints was because I knew they weren't true. You are an incredible write, Niklaus, but over the last few weeks..."

"Don't beat around the bush. Spit it out, Finn."

"You're writing has become mediocre. You've been leaving early, not coming in at all, and when you are here, you always seem distracted."

Klaus simply stared at him, dumbfounded. He knew he had been distant lately, but he didn't think it was a problem. He'd been getting his stories in by deadline and he thought they were perfectly fine. Obviously, he was wrong.

Noticing the hurt look on his face, Finn quickly said "don't take it personally, Niklaus. It's simply constructive criticism. Think of this as a wakeup call. I'm only trying to help."

Scoffing and nodding his head, Klaus simply answered "well, as long as you're trying to help." He turned around and stormed to the the elevators. Basically punching the number one, he waited for the elevator to take him to the lobby.

Maybe it was finally happening. Maybe he was finally losing his touch. He thought he would at least have had his first mid-life crisis before it happened. It wouldn't have bothered him so much of it wasn't his brother seemingly taking his spot at a job he worked so hard to get. And it also wouldn't have bothered him so much if he knew he shouldn't even be working here anyway. He should be working in the most prestigious galleries in the world. But Mikael had made sure, even in death, that Klaus would never have his dream.

He heard the ding that indicated he had reached the lobby. He stepped out and went to reach for his phone, realizing it wasn't there. Irritated, he remembered he had left it in the top drawer of his desk upstairs. He moved to get back in the elevator, but the doors were already closing. The one beside it, however, had just opened.

"Could you hold that, please?" He saw a hand stick out to stop the doors from closing, and jogged over to the elevator.

"Thank you so much, I really app-" He would have continued, but he suddenly caught sight of the owner of the hand that had stopped the doors from closing. To say she was beautiful would have been the understatement of the century. The woman in front of him didn't belong in this stuffy building, but rather on the cover of a magazine. Her blonde hair looked like it had been personally kissed by the sun, her body looked like that of a greek goddess, and those eyes-those eyes were as deep as the ocean and breathtaking as seeing the sunrise for the first time. And those eyes were currently staring straight at him.

"I really appreciate it" he finally finished, although slightly out of breath from looking at her.

Caroline blushed when she caught his stare and modestly looked down. "It-it's no problem. Um, what floor are you going to?"

"The twelfth. The Chicago Tribune."

Her had shot up instantly at his answer and asked "Do you work there?"

"I do" he answered."Along with my four siblings, although I deny them as much as I can. Why do you ask?"

"I'm taking over the 'Ask Amy' column. Today's my first day."

Giving her a cheshire smile, he said "Well, then. Welcome to the Chicago Tribune, Miss...?"

"Oh, Forbes. Um, Caroline Forbes." She felt that blush creep up on her cheeks again. God, could she sound anymore ditzy? Looks like she was really living up to her hair color this morning.

That rosy bush that he was starting to grow quite fond of made her all that more stunning. Caroline. Yes, the name definitely fit the gorgeous being in front of him.

Offering her his hand, he introduced himself. "Niklaus Mikaelson. But, please, call me Klaus." She slipped her hand into his and instantly felt an electric shock go up her arm and travel all the way through her body. She looked at him and became mesmerized by the intense stare he was giving her. The opening of the elevator doors broke them apart as people began filling up the elevator. They both walked out and awkwardly stood there, neither know what to say after what had just occurred.

Caroline, surprisingly enough, was the first to break the silence. "W-well, it was nice to meet you. I'm sure we'll see each other around."

Klaus smirked slightly before taking her hand and kissing the back of it gently, while saying "I'm counting on that." And with one final look, he turned from her, a huge grin plastered on his face. This should be fun.

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Caroline would be lying to herself of she said she didn't check him out as he walked away. Those eyes, those lips, that accent, and now even his walk; that man was the living definition of sex. And when their hands touched...it was like lightning. But it couldn't go any farther than that handshake. No, she wasn't going to let anyone else get hurt because of her.

Forgetting Klaus, she turned around and headed to the front desk, where the secretary was frantically taking numerous calls. "Chicago Tribune, please hold. Chicago Tribune, I'll transfer you" she heard her say over and over again. She walked up and stood there until the woman could deal with her. Looking around, she noticed that it wasn't just the receptionist being frantic, but everyone else was, too. This place looked more like a circus, rather than a news room. Sure, she'd had some experience with her college newspaper, but this was something completely different.

"Can I help you?"

Realizing it was her she was talking to, Caroline turned to the receptionist. "Oh, yes. I'm Caroline Forbes. I'm taking over the "Ask Amy' column."

"Of course. I'm Lexi Branson, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'll call Mr. Mikaleson down for you. You can take a seat over there, it'll be a moment."

Smiling and giving her a quick thank you, Caroline headed for one of the seats across the room. Well, so far, so good. No one had been a complete jerk to her yet. But it was still early, so hopefully she didn't jinx it.

"Miss. Forbes, it's a pleasure to see you again. I pray you have not been waiting too long" Finn asked, offering her his hand.

Caroline stood and shook his outstretched hand, answering "not at all, Mr. Mikaelson. And please, call me Caroline."

"I can do that, but only if you call me Finn." Caroline giggled, but nodded her head, nonetheless. "Good. Now that that's settled, let's get started, shall we?"

"We shall." Letting him lead the way, Caroline followed and listened as he took her on a tour, telling her which department was which, where the best coffee was, and even introducing her to a few people. Rounding the corner, she ran smack dab into a bundle of blonde curls.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I wasn't watch-"

"Easy, love. No harm, no foul."

Hearing that voice, her head shot up and she was met with those blue eyes she had seen only a couple of minutes ago. "Perfect timing! Caroline, allow me to introduce my brother, Niklaus. He covers front page stories. Niklaus, this is-"

"Caroline Forbes. Yes, we met earlier on the elevator. It's lovely to see you again, Ms. Forbes" Klaus said with a smirk. Caroline didn't look up but murmured a quick "you too". That only caused his smirk to grow larger. He knew the effect he was having on her and she was fighting it, tooth and nail. Why, he had no idea. She seemed so eager earlier.

Deciding to put her out of her misery- for now, at least- he looked at Finn and spoke "well, brother, I'll let you get back to your tour. My next entry will be on your desk tomorrow morning." Looking down, as to catch her eye, he spoke directly to Caroline. "Ms. Forbes, I look forward to seeing you again soon. And good luck on your first day."

Staring at him like a deer caught in headlights, she watched that man walk away from her for the second time that day.

"Oh, boy." What had she gotten herself into?

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He'd been through the plan over and over again. If anything went wrong, he knew he'd never get another chance. All he had to do now was wait. Connor owed him this. All that was left was for the guard to bring him his food and the plan would be set in motion. The plan that would hopefully lead him to Caroline.

**Thank you all for reading! Let me know what you think! xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, guys! School got in the way, so I wasn't able to update like I had been, but I'm here now! This chapter is a pretty big in regards to learning about Caroline's past. I know in the reviews, a few of you were guessing it was Tyler in the cell….guess you'll have to read to find out if you were right. See you at the bottom!**

He watched as the guard slipped the tray of food through the small opening of his cell. Same as everyday: a piece of spam, mashed potatoes, green beans, and macaroni and cheese. Only today, there was one thing that was different: the small amount of methamphetamine that was crushed into the mashed potatoes. Connor had been putting small amounts in his food over the past few weeks. Not enough to kill him, but enough to cause a seizure. The plan was simple: eat the potatoes, have the seizure, get transferred to the local hospital, where Connor would be waiting for him. It was foolproof, but the slightest detour and it was all over. Grabbing his fork, he began eating, somewhat nervous that maybe Connor had put too much or too little , but that nervousness was gone as soon as he swallowed his first bite. It began in his hand and the numbness slowly spread throughout his body. He vaguely heard the guard call for help before he passed out. _I'll see you soon, Caroline_ was his last thought before he blacked out.

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It had been a little over a month since Caroline had started and she was currently loving every second of her new job.

"Elena, it's everything I've ever dreamed of. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. I get to help people overcome their problems on a daily basis and the head of the Lifestyle section is amazing. She's actually my boss' sister."

Rebekah was basically an exact copy of Caroline: blonde, spunky, and extremely serious about her job. She had been nervous about meeting her superior, but Rebekah was like the older she always wanted. She had also met Finn and Rebekah's other siblings, Elijah and Kol. Elijah was head of the Business department and so much like Finn, it was uncanny. Kol, on the hand, was a handful. He came on to every girl on the newspaper, despite only being an intern. And Caroline had been no exception. She'd shot him down the first time they'd met, but he was persistent and hadn't left her alone since.

"That's great, Care. I'm so happy for you. Speaking of Mikaelson's, where has Klaus been lately?" Elena said suggestively. Crap. She knew she shouldn't have told Elena about him.

"I wouldn't know. I haven't seen him since my first day." Okay, that wasn't entirely true. She had seen him, but only from a distance. Almost everyday, at exactly noon, Klaus would come to her department and have lunch with Rebekah. While Caroline had tried her hardest to ignore him, she would steal a glance every now and then, and every time she did, she would catch him staring at her and she would immediately look down.

"Well, what are you waiting for? The way you talked about him made it seem like you two were soul mates. Talk to him, make a move, do something!"

Rolling her eyes, Caroline said "Elena, no. Okay, he's wealthy, good-looking, and extremely charming. I'm sure he has a little black book stashed away somewhere with a hundred names in it and I don't plan on becoming one-hundred and one. Even if I did make a move, it would be pointless because I couldn't trust him. A relationship won't last without trust."

"Caroline, this isn't about trust and you know it. I'm not saying trust isn't important or anything, but that's not what you're worried about. You're scared it's gonna happen again."

She almost dropped her phone after Elena said that. It had become an unspoken rule that they would never talk about what happened five years ago, Knowing she would regret it, she took the bait. "Elena, he's still out there."

"Yes, locked up in a cell, twenty-three hundred miles away. He's not getting out this time."

"You don't know that, okay?" Caroline spat out. "He did it once, he can do it again. And last time he did, I lost my best friend and the only man I ever loved, and so did you. Okay, they are dead because of me. Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler were murdered because of me. I'm not about to put another man in danger over a handshake and a few stolen glances."

Elena became silent on the other end until she knew for sure Caroline was done ranting. "Do you remember what you told me the day after your parent's funeral?" When Caroline didn't answer, Elena continued. "You said 'life sucks sometimes. All we can do is pick up the pieces, move one, and live our lives.' What happened to that girl?"

"She grew up, She realized that life wasn't a fairytale. It was real and she finally faced her reality. This is my reality, Elena. Call me a coward, call me scared, but in the end, Klaus will be alive and that's all that matters."

Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, Elena said bitterly "I can't make you do anything you don't want to, Caroline. But if you keeping going on like this, you're gonna end up dead. Whether it's by Logan or yourself."

She hung up before Caroline could say anything, which didn't matter because Caroline was speechless. She hadn't heard his name spoken aloud since the second time he was caught. That was mainly because everyone was afraid to say it in front of her. Not Elena, though. She had always been a blunt, upfront, tell-it-like-it-is kind of person. But she had taken it to a whole other level tonight.

Realizing she was still holding the phone, Caroline quickly hung it up. She leaned against the counter, her head still spinning from hearing his name. What broke her out of her daze was the sound of her stomach growling and she realized she hadn't eaten since lunch. Grabbing her purse, she headed for the little diner down the street. Caroline might not live in the nicest apartment, but this diner was a Godsend. The food was out of this world, the people always welcome, and it was only two blocks from her apartment. She walked in and a smile was immediately put on her face.

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After finishing her dinner and saying goodbye to everyone, she walked out and it was then she noticed it was pouring rain outside. And her umbrella was currently hanging up in her hall closet. However, instead of trying to run back to her apartment or wait inside the diner for the storm pass, Caroline started walking. Despite being from Virginia, Caroline was the farthest thing from a southern belle. But one southern tradition she did enjoy was the occasional rain walk. There was something about walking in the rain that made the entire world disappear, even if only for a little while. She was halfway from her apartment when she heard the honking of a horn and saw a car pull up beside her. She figured it was just some perv wanting to give her a hard time, but then she heard the voice of the driver.

"Would you care to explain why you're walking in the middle of the pouring rain?"

She prayed she was dreaming, or that it was anyone but Klaus speaking to her right now. Consider herself disappointed when realized it wasn't. Staring at him, she answered sarcastically "not really" and continued walking.

Sighing and shaking his head, Klaus said "WILL you explain to me why you are walking in the pouring rain?"

Again, Caroline repeated "not really", this time with a slight smirk. She knew she was beginning to infuriate him by the death glare she was currently receiving from him.

Exasperated, Klaus said "Are you always this stubborn? And if you answer with ' not really', I will-"

"You'll what?" Caroline said, finally stopping, daring him to finish his threat.

He had meant to make a joke out of his statement, but Caroline was apparently not in a joking mood. Not wanting to start a fight with her, Klaus ignored her question. "Get in the car, Caroline."

"My apartment is right around the corner, I'm fine."

"Caroline." He was staring at her like he knew she wanted to get in the car. And if she was being honest with herself, she did. But getting in the car with him would lead him to believe that they had a chance, and she wasn't going to string him along.

Turning to start walking again, Caroline said "I'm fine, Klaus. Thank you for the offer, but I'm fine. Now, go home."

And with that, she started walking home once again. But the sound of a car door opening and closing had her turning around again, just in time to see Klaus jump on to the sidewalk.

"What the hell are you doing? You're getting soaked!"

"I could say the same about you. I can't have you walking home by yourself this late at night. You never know who or what could be lurking out in the darkness."

Actually, she did, but she wasn't going to let him know that. "Klaus, I'm perfectly-"

"Fine? Yes you've told me three times already. Now, we can either start walking or continue to get drenched" he said matter-of-factly.

Caroline stared at him to see if he was serious and after realizing he was, she rolled her eyes and nodded in the direction of her apartment building.

The walk was relatively quiet, which left Caroline extremely surprised. Klaus was known for a lot of things,but being quiet wasn't one of them. She normally wouldn't allow people to know where she lived, especially a man, but Klaus insisted on seeing her all the way up to her apartment door.

"Home sweet home" Caroline joked as she fumbled with her keys. She always joked around when she was nervous. Klaus simply smiled and stared at her in wonderment. "Um, th-thank you for, um, walking m-me home. It was unnecessary, but th-thank you." Klaus continued to stare. Caroline, beginning to fall under the effects of his stare said, more of a question than a statement, "I guess I'll, um, s-see you at work?" It seemed like was getting some sick entertainment out of watching her squirm, but before she could accuse him of such, he moved toward her, their noses completely touching.

He stared at her for a second longer, as if searching for some hidden truth behind her eyes. Caroline was frozen in place, unable to move or say anything. Two inches. That's all it would take for her to reach up and press her lips to his. But he began to speak before she could indulge in her little fantasy.

"I'm going to figure you out, Caroline Forbes. Whether it takes a month or a year, I will do it. Even if it's the last thing I do."

And with that, he walked past her and out of the building. Caroline let out a breath she didn't even realize she had been holding. This had been exactly what she had wanted to avoid when she moved to Chicago: attachment. Caroline had become skilled in keeping a distance from anyone who she could potentially care for. Elena had been the only exception, but was different. She had had a front row seat to Caroline's hardest time and had refused to leave Caroline alone. Caroline had even kept her distance from Ric, just to make sure. What was making Klaus so different? No matter how hard she tried, he always managed to reel her back in with only a quick glance and a few smooth words. They knew nothing about each other, so what made him think there was anything to figure out? What made him want to figure it out? But more importantly, what was making Caroline so eager for him to figure it out?

**So, it obviously isn't Tyler, but Logan Fell. I drew the inspiration for him to be the killer from his and Caroline's scene in season one when he knocks her out. I hope you guys like the idea of him being the killer! Let me know! xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! Can I just say school blows? As a reader myself, I know how much it sucks to have to wait for updates. With that being said, I don't plan on ever making you guys wait more than a week for an update, but school and work have my schedule pretty full. I hope ya'll are still interested in the story and I hope you like this chapter! See you at the bottom!**

The next morning at work, things were different to say the least. It seemed as through Klaus was now going out of his way to see Caroline. It wasn't just at lunch now that she saw him- it was in the elevator in the morning, walking down the hall to the copy room, in the meeting Finn had called on Monday, and in the elevator at the end of the day. The meeting had probably been the awkwardest encounter they'd had since meeting. Not only did he decide to sit right beside her, but he had taken the liberty of moving his chair as close to hers as possible- he might as well have been sitting on her lap. And to make things even worse, about halfway through Finn's presentation, she felt a strong, calloused hand make home on her knee. She'd practically jumped out of her seat, earning a few side glances from her coworkers and a sly smirk from Klaus. After gaining her composure, she glanced over and saw Lexi and Rebekah giving her identical, knowing looks.

_Shut up, _she mouthed. They both rolled their eyes, smiled at each other, and continued listening to Finn.

Caroline reached under the table and pushed his hand away, only for him to put it right back. She let out a huff of breath and tried to continue listening to Finn.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Klaus was currently sitting in front of Finn's desk, sweating up a storm. He had just handed in his latest assignment and Finn had decided to read it right in front front of him. Klaus knew he only had a few chances left before Finn didn't have any other choice but to fire him. Even if that happened, Klaus couldn't blame or resent Finn for firing him. He had been nothing but honest and fair with Klaus and only wanted to see him succeed. But if Klaus was being completely honest with himself, being let go would be more of a relief. He wouldn't have feel like he was pretending to be something he's not. He knew he wasn't a writer, he knew that. But after Mikael had completely ruined his art career, he had needed a job and Finn was right there to help him.

Finn finished reading, set the paper down, and looked at Klaus with his hands clasped together. He continued to stare at him until Klaus was sure he was going to throw up. That was until Finn smiled.

"This is perfect, Niklaus. This is, without a doubt, your best work yet. This..," he held up the paper "..is a front page story."

Klaus waited for him to laugh and say he was kidding or for him to wake up and simply be dreaming. When neither of those things happened, Klaus couldn't help but jump up, run around the desk, and hug Finn around the neck.

Breaking apart, Finn said proudly "whatever you're doing, keep doing it. I love Kol, but if his head gets any bigger with these front page stories, we'll all be in trouble. Get this down to layout for tomorrow's morning addition. I'm, uh, very proud of you, Niklaus. Not only with assignment, but with everything. Your life hasn't been the least bit easy, but you've managed to get past all of it. We were all starting to wonder if maybe you'd finally succumb to your troubles, but as always, you've managed to surprise us."

Finn was never one to share his feelings, so to hear him say this meant alot to Klaus. "Thank you, Finn. Thank you." was all Klaus could say, but he meant it in more ways than one. They shared a knowing look before Klaus headed towards layout, feeling like a five year old on Christmas morning. He entered the lifestyle department and was about to round corner when he smacked into someone, fell to the floor, and saw papers skewen everywhere.

"SERIOUSLY?"

Klaus looked up and saw Caroline on the other end of papers, her blouse almost completely soaked through with coffee.

"Caroline, oh my goodness. I am so sorry. I didn't even see you."

"Yeah, well, now you do. God, I'm filthy! And I still have four more hours of work left. What the hell am I suppo-what are you doing? Klaus, where are we going?"

Klaus had grabbed her hand and was leading her towards the locker room. It was supposed to be used for keeping personal items, but was mostly used for the occasional smoking break. Employees weren't supposed to keep personal belongings in their desks, however Finn had never enforced that rule. Klaus used his locker as a second closet. Whether it be the occasional spill or the walk of shame, he liked having clothes here in case of emergencies. And he definitely classified this as an emergency.

"Klaus, what are we doing in here? I have to get these papers to the copy room! Rebekah is going to kill me if they're late! Klaus, answer me, damn it!"

Turning toward her, held out a white button-up shirt, similar to the one he was currently wearing.

"What the hell is that?"

Rolling his eyes, Klaus said sarcastically "I know you're blonde and all, Caroline, but this is a dry shirt. Considering, your current state, I figured you would be just a tad more grateful. See, you unbutton it, put your arms through each sleeve, though not at the same time, that could be quite compl-."

"I know how a shirt works, thank you!" she said very clearly irritated at his mocking her. "But I'm not about to put it on with you standing there, staring at me."

Klaus then noticed what the coffee had done to her shirt. The contrast between the brown liquid and her blue shirt was making it almost completely see through. He could distinctly make out the lace of her black bra and the swell of her breasts from underneath it.

Caroline was caught of guard by how quickly the atmosphere in the room had changed; she was even more surprised by the lustful look that was clouding Klaus' eyes right now. It was only when she saw what he was staring at that she realized she was essentially flashing him. Every instinct in her body was telling her to grab his shirt and run, but every nerve ending in her body was on fire and wanted nothing more than for her to stay right where she was.

"I sh-should go change and, um, g-get back to work."

"Yes, you should."

But instead of moving apart, they both moved slightly closer until their shoes were touching. Klaus then dropped the shirt and brought his hands up to cup her face. He looked at her and waited for her to pull away or give him some indication she didn't want this just as much as he did.

Had he not been such a damn gentleman, Caroline would be having the hottest makeout session of her life right now. But that one second he gave her to think about what she was doing was more than enough time for her to break out of his spell and come back to reality. No, she couldn't do this. She grabbed his hands and slowly pulled them away from her face. Her eyes conveyed how extremely sorry she was, but that she couldn't do it. She didn't deserve him. He deserved someone who could give him a life and someone with no complications. She picked up his shirt from the floor and headed towards the bathroom.

Klaus, on the other hand, was rooted in place, unable to move. What the hell just happened? He thought for sure he was going to finally get to kiss her- something he'd been dreaming of since that first day in the elevator. Any other girl would have jumped him right then and there, no questions asked. But with Caroline, it wasn't just about the kiss; this was about a relationship with him as a whole. It was like she was scared to death of him, but at the same time, completely infatuated. What was the story behind the blonde beauty? What had her so damn scared?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ric, why don't you just ask her out? I mean, if you don't, I just might have to."

Alaric Saltzman was currently getting grilled by his team for not asking out Jenna Sommers, the new M.E. that had just been hired. Before he could come back with a remark about what Harper had just said, Ric's partner, Jeremy, came running into the room.

"Ric, you need to see something." Jeremy was rarely ever serious about anything, so imagine his surprise when he saw Jeremy white as a ghost. and serious as a heart attack.

"'Scuse me, fellas" Ric said while getting up and following Jeremy out into the hallway. "What's wrong, Jer? You look like you're about to puke."

"We just got a fax from the Eastern State Hospital in Washington. One of their patients escaped yesterday."

And like that, Alaric's entire demeanor changed. His breathing stopped, his heart dropped to his stomach, and he became just as pale as Jeremy. He didn't want to ask and he knew he didn't need. Only one escapee could make Jeremy act like this. But he had to be sure. Slowly and hesitantly, he asked "Who, Jeremy?"

"Ric-"

"Who was it, Jeremy? Who escaped?"

With a defeated sigh, Jeremy looked at Ric, a single tear falling down his cheek, and said "it's him, Ric. Logan Fell has escaped."

**DUN-DUN-DUN. So, he's officially out and wreaking havoc on Caroline's life again. I do have a question for ya'll though: do you think Klaus and Caroline's relationship is moving too fast? It might just be because I already know what's going to happen, but just let me know. Also, I know earlier, it said I had updated, but there was no new chapter..that was my bad. But here it is, so have no fear! I hope ya'll like it and let me know what you think! xoxo**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi, guys! Ya'll have been really sweet with the reviews, so thank you so much for that, especially to BehindTheSmiles who left me a really helpful review! I know at least two people wanted Klaus' article to be about Logan escaping, and I never really considered doing that, but I'll definitely take it into consideration! Only one person said they thought the story was moving too fast, so I'm assuming ya'll are okay with it. Hope you enjoy and I'll see you at the bottom!**

Caroline knew there would be a few days here and there where she dreaded having to go to work. However, she figured it would be because she didn't get enough sleep the night before or because she had to give some kind of presentation; not because she had almost made out with her coworker the day before.

After she'd fled the locker room yesterday, she had taken to hiding in the bathroom until lunch was over, just to make sure he had no other reason to come to the Lifestyle department. She had put his shirt on, noticing that even after being in his locker for who knows how long, it still had that musky masculine he wore so well. She tucked it into her pants to make it look more fitted and headed back to her desk to finish her shift. She had luckily been able to avoid him for the rest of the day, but she doubted she would get that lucky today.

Walking into work, she almost jumped out of her skin when she heard her name being called out.

"Whoa, sorry, didn't mean to scare you" Rebekah said while chuckling. "Finn's called an emergency meeting and need us both in the conference room right away." Nodding her head, Caroline followed Rebekah down the hall.

"What do you think it's about?" Caroline asked curiously.

"No idea. He's never called one before as long as I've worked here. Maybe Kol finally got offered a real writing job?" she guessed half-heartedly.

"He didn't call one for me when I got hired. Not saying I'm better than Kol, but that doesn't sound like a good enough reason to call an emergency meeting."

Rebekah shrugged her shoulders and said "guess we'll find out soon enough. Although it must be big, considering he basically shut down the paper to have the meeting. Finn's a complete workaholic, the one thing he inherited from our father. Although it seems that's the only thing any of us acquired from him."

Caroline caught the bitter-slash-relieved tone Rebekah had. "You say that like it's a good thing."

Rebekah's walk slowed until she came to a complete stop. Hesitantly, she said "my father never earned a daddy-of-the-year, Caroline." She picked up on the past tense Rebekah used. "He was hardly ever home and when he was, it was never a happy time for any of us. He'd come home complaining about some imbecile who worked for him, dinner not being on the table, or something as small as the remote control not being where he left it. My mother was constantly on the opposite end of his anger for almost my entire life."

Caroline fidgeted slightly, not wanting to press her on the subject. Curiosity got the better of her, however, and she asked bashfully "almost?"

Sighing heavily, Rebekah looked directly into Caroline's eyes. "My father was the editor of London's _The Daily Telegraph. _Finn and Elijah had begun interning there after they'd both finished with school, while Nik, Kol, and I were still in high school. Mikael hadn't come in for work that morning, which had never happened in the fifteen years I'd been on this earth. Finn and Elijah came and picked the three of us from school and we all headed home. We stepped inside to find the house completely silent, aside from a constant banging noise coming from inside the kitchen. When we stepped into the room, we saw our mother stabbing my father in the chest."

Caroline didn't know what to say, half of her not wanting to hear the rest of the story and the other part wanting nothing more than for her to continue. And continue she did.

"After we all broke out of our spells, Finn took the knife from her while Elijah pulled her off of him. We distinctly heard the sirens in the background getting closer and closer, the doing of our neighbors reporting a disturbance from within our home. All of us, including our lawyer, tried to convince her to say it was self-defense, but she wouldn't say anything then and to this day hasn't said anything. She was ruled mentally unstable and sent to Bethlem Royal Hospital."

Caroline just stood there staring at her, shocked that Rebekah had just unloaded all of that on her. "I'm so sorry, Rebekah" was all she could muster up and it didn't seem near enough.

Rebekah shrugged. "Don't be. It was only a matter of time before Esther got tired of his crap. Granted, none of us expected her to kill him, but still. We've all moved on. But now, I have a question for you."

"And what would that be?" Caroline said skeptically.

"What's going on with you and my brother?"

Caroline felt her entire body tense up and her mouth open in shock. What did Rebekah know? And how much did she know?

"You didn't think it was a secret, did you?" Rebekah took her silence as a yes. Scoffing, she said "c'mon, Caroline. It's our jobs to get to the bottom of things and it was easy to get to the bottom of this. When Klaus came home the other night, it was obvious something had happened with. My siblings and I had never seen him so smitten. But we had no idea who with until Lexi and I saw you two in the conference room the next day. He likes you, Caroline. A lot. More than any other girl who's ever come into his life. And by the way you act around him, you like him too.

Caroline honestly didn't know how to respond. Had they really been that obvious? She wasn't naïve enough to think Klaus didn't like her, but more than any other he'd ever met? She had just figured she was his latest chase. She had never expected to be thought of so highly by him. And Caroline knew she liked him, too, but after yesterday, she had decided to stay as far away from him as possible.

Rebekah was standing there, waiting for Caroline to say she was wrong. Imagine her surprise when she didn't.

"I do like him, Rebekah. But we can't happen."

Rebekah's eyes scrunched up in confusion, noting Caroline's serious tone. "Why not?"

Caroline so did not want to get into this right now. Or ever for that matter. The less she knew, the better.

"I have a lot of baggage, Rebekah. It's complicated and I don't want Klaus getting mixed up in all of it. He deserves someone who can be honest with him and whom he can build a life with. I'm not that someone." Hearing the words come out of her own mouth hurt Caroline more than she thought it would. She'd basically repeated this to herself over the last five years, but this was the first time it'd ever been put into reality. Thinking of Klaus with someone other than her broke her heart, but better hers than his.

Caroline looked at Rebekah and heard the wheels turning inside her head, trying to come up with scenarios that would fit her statement. Giving up, she sighed and said with a sense of finality "my brother won't care about you past, Caroline. He'll just want to be a part of your future." And with that, she walked into the conference room.

"Not if he knew he would end up dead" she murmered before following Rebekah.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_What the bloody hell was that supposed to mean?_

Klaus had just got a message from Finn, calling an emergency meeting. He was about to round the corner when he heard Rebekah and Caroline talking about him. He hid behind the wall and continued listening.

_"I do like him, Rebekah. But we can't happen."_

_"Why not?"_ Yeah, why not?

He listened to the rest of the conversation, fighting the need to jump out and tell Caroline she was being an idiot. Who the hell did she think she was deciding what he did and didn't deserve? Shouldn't that be his decision? And here she was, deciding it for him. He heard Rebekah walk off and was about to reveal himself Caroline, but then he heard her say that. Forgetting everything that had transpired between them, Klaus followed her. Before he could reach her, however, Finn was rushing him into the conference room.

"Niklaus, hurry and take a seat! We haven't got all day!" Finn yelled before Klaus even had the chance to say her name. She had sat between Lexi and Rebekah, and every seat remotely close to her was taken. He was forced to reside in the seat next to Finn, which normally wouldn't have bothered him, but he had questions he needed answered and needed answered now.

Everyone had finally found a seat at the enormous round table, so Finn began to speak. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I've called you hear, and I assure you: it's well worth your time. Just a few moments ago, I received a phone call from none other than Mr. Stefan Salvatore. As most of you know, he is the editor of the _New York Times _and every year, he selects five newspapers to attend his yearly fall gala." Everyone had become tense, anticipating what Finn was going to say next. None of them wanted to get their hopes up, but being invited to this event could make a newspaper. Stefan Salvatore was the youngest editor of the _New York Times_ since it was invented, but was also the most brilliant they'd ever had. He hadn't used any connections or dirty tracks to get to the top, which was rare and nearly impossible in this career. "Ladies and gentleman, we have been selected as one of those newspapers" Finn finally said, making the entire room burst into cheers and applause.

"How did this happen? We've tried for years to get Stefan to get Stefan to even pick up one our newspapers, let alone be invited to his gala" Rebekah stated enthusiastically.

"We actually have our newest writer to thank for that" Finn spoke, gesturing towards Caroline. "While on the phone with Stefan, he mentioned that one of the main reasons for selecting was because of Caroline. He said the 'Ask Amy' column was quickly becoming the highlight of the entire paper" Finn said proudly.

Everyone began congratulating Caroline and praising her for her hard work. They were all excited: the girls about shopping for dress and the boys about the potential connections they could make. Caroline, on the other hand, felt like she was going to throw up. She said a few more thank yous and then excused herself to go to the restroom. Before leaving, though, she caught Klaus' eye and all she saw was concern and worry. However, she rushed out before he could question her.

Once she was alone, she essentially started hyperventilating. A stranger would just assume she was nervous about what Stefan had said and the pressure that was now put on her. But in reality, it had nothing to do with the paper, but everything to do with Stefan Salvatore.

Caroline whipped out her phone and began dialing Elena's phone number, praying she answered.

"Caroline? Shouldn't you be at work?" Elena asked, knowing Caroline's schedule and knowing she shouldn't be calling right now.

"Elena….." was all Caroline could get out, feeling completely out of breath.

"What's wrong? Caroline, talk to me? What happened?"

Caroline continued breathing like she'd just run a ten-mile marathon. She shouldn't be freaking out like this. She was overreacting and scaring Elena, but she couldn't help it.

On the other end, Elena was becoming panicked herself. "Caroline, breathe. Focus on the sound of my voice. Block out everything else around you and focus on my voice." Concentrating on Elena, she finally began to calm down. "Good. Now, tell me what the hell happened?"

She took a few more breaths before finally answering her. "Stefan happened, Elena."

Elena became completely silent on the other end, not fully understanding what she meant. "What about Stefan?"

"When was the last time you saw him?" Caroline asked.

"The last time you saw him, Care. Five years ago. Why? Did he call you or something?"

"In a way, yes. Apparently, Stefan has made quite a name for himself these last couple years. He's the editor of the _New York Time_ and every year, they throw a big party for a select few newspapers and the _Chicago Tribune _is one of those select few. My boss told me that Stefan said I was the main reason for why we got chosen."

Elena hesitated for a moment and then said "well, first of all, congratulations. For only being there a month and a half, you sure have made a name for yourself. Second of all, Stefan probably just realizes what a talented writer you are. I'm sure he's over everything by now."

Was she high? "Elena, I'm the reason his brother is an alcoholic. That's not just something someone gets over. He hates me."

"Okay, maybe you're right" Elena admitted. "But this gala could be his way of trying to make amends."

Caroline doubted that. The Salvatore brothers were two peas in a pod: Damon the popular jock and Stefan the nerdy writer, their social statuses not changing anything. Damon and Stefan were always together in high school. Damon had been dating Bonnie when she died, and he definitely hadn't taken it well. She had found out later that Damon had been planning on proposing to Bonnie the night she died, which obviously didn't help. After her death, Damon had taken to getting drunk every night to relieve his pain, which in turn, had cost him his job and his football scholarship. He lost everything that night and he blamed Caroline, which also made Stefan blame her.

"He's not looking to become friends, Elena. It's not like any of us were ever really that close to him in high school, even with us being on the paper together. He was so focused on his school work, we hardly ever saw him while Damon and Bonnie were together. This is him trying to out my entire past to the whole news staff. I can't go."

"Yes, you can. This isn't just about you and Stefan, Caroline; it's about the newspaper as a whole. And if the only reason they got selected doesn't show up, it could destroy everything you guys have worked for."

Caroline knew she was right, but she had a feeling the night would turn out worse if she did go. "How am I going to face him? After everything I've done to him and his brother."

"One: you didn't do anything. All of this is Logan's fault and the sooner Stefan figures that out, the better. You didn't choose for this to happen to you. Two: facing him will be easy because Katherine and I will be there to help you."

"What? Elena, I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking, I'm offering. You're my best friend and you need me. Plus, I haven't seen you in forever and this gives me the perfect excuse. I'll text Katherine and let her know. Don't try to argue cause you'll be wasting your breath. I'll call you and let you know when I'm coming. Love you!"

Elena hung up the phone before Caroline could say anything back, but really, what would she have said?

She walked out of the bathroom, began walking back to her desk when she felt herself being pulled into the supply closet. Her first instinct was to pull out the pepper spray she kept in her pocket, but her assailant turned the light on before she could, revealing himself to be Klaus.

"Klaus, what are you doing? You scared the hell out of me! Why did you-?"

"I heard you talking to Rebekah earlier" Klaus said angrily, cutting her off.

Caroline stared at him, not knowing what to say at all. She finally decided on "I don't know what you're talking about."

That response only seemed to infuriate him more. "Stop lying, Caroline! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"Klaus, I-"

The door was suddenly thrown open and an angry Finn was on the other side. When Klaus and Caroline began to explain themselves, he simply held up his hand and said "just get back to work. Both of you."

They swiftly walked out of the closet and were about to part ways when Klaus grabbed her elbow. "This isn't over" he whispered, almost menacingly and walked away.

No, it most certainly wasn't.

**Wow, this chapter was a lot longer than I intended it to be, but hopefully you guys like it! let me know, xoxo!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, lovely people! Here's chapter seven!**

The entire precinct was silent, no one knowing what to do or say under the circumstances. Jeremy had just told all the detectives what he had just told Alaric not too long ago. Some of the older detectives had to explain the significance of this case to the younger ones, but after they had, everyone shared the exact same expression: horror and disgust. The room continued to stay quiet as everyone waited for Alaric to take command and tell them what to do. A few more moments of silence passed before he finally stood up, looking twenty years older than he really was.

"Caroline can't know about this, not yet anyway, We try to find him before he gets to her. He's got about a two day trip to Illinois, so that gives us forty-eight hours to get to him before he gets to her. We're not losing anyone….not this time. We will catch this bastard and make sure he pays for all the destruction he's caused. I want every border lined with officers and his description sent to every state he may cross. He will not get to her. We will stop him" Alaric finished, every sentence becoming more and more determined. Every officer and detective began their tasks, while Alaric turned to Jeremy and said "c'mon, we're going to Chicago."

When they got outside, Jeremy stopped Alaric and said "Elena called me yesterday, Ric. She's going to see Caroline next week. We have to catch him before she gets there. Elena had a close call last time and I'm not going through that again. We have to get him, Ric, before he kills anyone else."

Alaric put both hands on Jeremy's shoulders and gave him a look Jeremy had only ever seen once before. "We are not losing _anyone _this time. I'll die before I let him kill anyone else. Now, let's go, we're wasting time." They hopped in the car and made their way to Caroline.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ugh, no. You look like an overgrown cabbage patch kid" Rebekah said with an expression of disgust strewn across her face.

Katherine let out small giggle and said "a little harsh, but she's right, Care."

Caroline rolled her eyes and went back into the dressing room to take off, yet another, dress that Rebekah had deemed unacceptable.

The gala was in two weeks and Rebekah had jumped at the chance to go shopping. Caroline had wanted to wait until Elena got to Chicago to look at dresses, but Rebekah had been extremely persistent. Plus, Elena had said she would just pick out a dress in Mystic Falls and bring it with her when she came. They'd been in the same store for almost three hours and Caroline was nowhere close to finding a dress. Katherine and Rebekah, however, had found there's a half hour ago and they'd both agreed that since Caroline was the star of the party, she had to look perfect.

"Try this one" Rebekah said from behind the door, while also throwing a chiffon dress over the door. Caroline grabbed the dress and began putting it on.

"So, how is Caroline doing, Rebekah?" Katherine asked while they both continued looking through other potential dresses.

Rebekah looked at her and asked quizzically "what do you mean?"

"I mean, how is she doing with her job and with her coworkers? Has she been making friends?"

Rebekah noticed that she sounded more like a concerned parent than an interested girlfriend, which struck her as extremely odd. Nonetheless, she answered truthfully "well, her section of the paper is the main reason we've been invited to the gala, so I'd say her job is going fairly well. With her coworkers, she only really talks to Lexi and I. And she only talks to us when we approach her." Why is she like that? Caroline seemed the type that would be extremely social, but she wasn't in the least. "You've known her longer than I have. Do you know why she's like that?"

Katherine looked like she wanted to answer her, but knew it wasn't her place to say. "Let's just say, Caroline's gone through a lot more than anyone her age should have gone through."

Rebekah didn't get a chance to ask what she meant because Caroline stepped out of the dressing room at that moment. She waited for them to say something and when they didn't, she took it as a bad sign.

"It looks terrible, doesn't it? Ugh, I look like a giant smurf, don't I?"

Katherine and Rebekah broke out into huge smiles and started squealing like twelve-year old girls at a Justin Bieber concert.

"You look gorgeous."

"It's perfect!"

"Sexiest smurf I've ever seen" Katherine finished, earing giggles from both girls.

"Klaus isn't going to know what hit him" Rebekah said, halting all joking that had been going on.

Caroline stared at Rebekah, not believing she had just said that.

"Who's Klaus?" Katherine questioned looking between the two girls.

"My older brother. Seems he and Caroline have taken a fancy to each other. Although, she seems to be quite set on not pursuing him, God knows why."

Caroline suddenly found the floor very interesting. "I should change."

"I'll help you" Katherine said pointedly, following her into the dressing room. They closed the door and Katherine motioned for Caroline to turn around so she could undo the zipper.

"So, Klaus..."

"Drop it, Katherine."

"What, he sounds great. And you seem to think the same thing." This could be the perfect opportunity to get the rise out of Caroline she'd been waiting for since the day they started seeing each other. They both knew she was afraid of Logan and that's why she refused to engage in any relationships. But Logan wasn't the only Caroline was afraid of and she needed to realize that.

She took off the dress and began putting her jeans and shirt back on. "He is great. A great writer, a great brother-"

"You know that's not what I meant, Caroline" Katherine said accusingly.

"I know what you meant, Katherine and it doesn't matter what I think because nothing's going to happen. And that's that" Caroline said angrily, while putting her dress back on the hanger. She grabbed her purse, and stomped past Rebekah and towards the checkout counter.

Katherine followed her out, but stopped to talk to Rebekah. "Your brother, huh?"

Rebekah gave her a smirk and said "oh, yes. He's taken quite a liking to her and vice versa, but she refuses to do anything about it. Why, I couldn't tell you." Shrugging her shoulders, she went to stand beside Caroline to pay for her dress.

_This could be exactly what Caroline needs, _Katherine thought. _Someone to finally break down this wall she's built up. Someone to accept her past and help her learn from it. Someone to remind her that life goes on. She needed to meet this man and she needed to meet him now. _

After paying for their dresses and grabbing a quick lunch, Caroline made her way back to her apartment. She had just hung her purse up when she heard a clatter come from insider her bedroom. No one had a key to her place and she hadn't been expecting anyone. She opened her drawer and grabbed her nine millimeter, slowly making her way into the bedroom. She stood outside the door, breathing heavily and terrified of what or who could be in there. Taking one more deep breath, she rounded the corner and received a scream from her visitor, which in turn made her scream. But the fact that it was a women's scream had Caroline dropping her gun and looking in the direction of the scream.

"What the hell are you doing?! Trying to give me a heart attack?!" Caroline yelled angrily.

"Give you a heart attack?! I'm the one who had a gun pointed at me! Honestly, Caroline, what the hell were you thinking?" Elena said exasperated, holding her hand over her chest.

"I thought someone had broken in."

"Well, you thought wrong. It was just your best friend coming to surprise you" Elena said defensively.

Now Caroline felt terrible. Putting the gun on her dresser, she quickly walked over to Elena and gave her a hug. It'd been way too long since they'd seen each other and while they were hugging, she vowed to never go this long again.

Pulling away, Caroline said with a small smile "I'm sorry, force of habit. I'm really happy that you're here. I thought you weren't coming until next week, though."

Elena waved her hand dismissively and walked into the kitchen to find something to eat. "I was sitting at home, doing absolutely nothing, so I figured why not come early." Not finding anything, she turned toward Caroline with a worried expression. "You don't mind, do you?"

Caroline laughed and said "are you crazy? This is the best surprise ever!"

"Good", Elena said while smiling. "Katherine made me a copy of your key and left it under the mat. She told me you guys were going out, so I figured I'd hide in your bedroom. I didn't think I would almost die in the process, though" she said with a joking smile.

Caroline laughed and said "well, you're here now and that's all that matters. Let's go get some coffee and catch up!" Caroline grabbed Elena's hand and made their way to the local coffee shop.

After they'd both ordered and received their beverages, they sat down and Caroline began talk. "So, how have you been?"

Elena took a sip of her drink and said "good, really good. I was finally able to find a publicist. She said with a little more time, my book could get published."

Caroline nearly choked on her chai latter. "Elena, that's great! Getting published is what you've always dreamt of! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I just found out two days ago. It's not that big a deal" Elena said bashfully.

Caroline almost hit her. How could she say that? Elena always loved writing and had decided to make a career out of it. Throughout her four years at Whittmore College, she had taken to writing a small novel, but no one had wanted to even look at it, let alone publish it. Before Caroline had left, Elena had told her she was close to giving up. Thank God she hadn't. "It's a huge deal, Elena. I'm so proud of you. Do Jeremy and Katherine know?"

"Yeah, I called them both the day before I left. They said they were really happy for me and basically everything else you just said."

Caroline was going to kill Katherine for not telling her earlier. But right now, she was just happy that Elena was finally getting somewhere in her life. "This is amazing, Elena. You deserve it so much."

Elena smiled at her and said "thanks, Care. You deserve everything you've gotten lately, too. Looks like we're finally putting our pasts behind us."

Caroline really hoped so. Raising her coffee cup, she said proudly "to putting out pasts behind us." Elena clinked her cup against Caroline's and they both drank to their futures.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, Caroline was reading through some questions that had been submitted by readers, when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She looked at it, not recognizing the number, but she opened the text anyway.

_Caroline, it's Klaus. I got your number from Rebekah. We need to talk. Meet me in the locker room. _

Who the hell did he think he was? She wasn't a dog that could be summoned on command. Nevertheless, she put her phone in her drawer and made her way to the locker room. She had to put an end to this. No more stolen glances, no more romantic walks, and definitely no more almost-kisses. They both needed to move one and the sooner, the better. She walked into the locker room and saw him leaning against the lockers, staring at the floor.

"Going to be honest, I didn't think you'd come."

"Well, you said we needed to talk. So, talk."

Klaus stared at her for a moment before standing up straight and facing her. "What happened to you, Caroline?"

Looking at him in confusion, she asked "what do you mean?"

"You know bloody well what I mean" he said angrily walking towards her. "I heard you talking to Rebekah the other day and then what you said after she walked away. You're scared of something and that something has made you act this way."

Caroline dismissed his accusations by saying "nothing has _happened _to me. And even if something had, it's none of your business. I mean, I know you've taken a liking to me, but-"

"Don't do that. Don't you dare do that" Klaus yelled, his temper rising quickly.

"Do what?"

"Act like this thing between us is one-sided. You have feeling for me, too and for some reason, you're refusing to give into them. What happened to you, Caroline?" He repeated his question , although more pressing this time.

She wanted to tell him. God, she wanted to tell him. She was tired of keeping all of this inside her and she wanted nothing more than to let it out. But if she told him, she knew he'd run away like everyone else.

"Klaus, this isn't going to work, you and me. I can't offer you what you want, and-"

"What exactly is it that you think I want, Caroline?" Klaus asked, slightly offended.

Caroline's mouth began opening and closing, not sure how to answer him. They both knew what she was getting at, but neither were about to say it out loud.

"Like I said, you and I can't work."

"Why?"

"Why do you keep asking so many damn questions?!" Caroline asked, surprising Klaus with her temper. "I said we couldn't work; accept that, move on, and leave me alone." Turning her back on his dumbfounded expression, she began her way out of the locker room

"Trust me, I've tried." Caroline turned around slowly, raising her eyebrows at him, allowing him to continue. "After what I heard you say to Rebekah, I realized you were a lot more screwed up than I was prepared to deal with." Caroline could've slapped him, but he continued before she could. "But then I saw the way you looked at me at the meeting about Stefan. You want someone to care about you. You want someone to understand you and accept you. Let me be that someone, Caroline." He moved closer to her, cupping her face and wiping away her tears with his thumbs. He needed her to know that he was here and that he wanted her, past and all. But until she opened up to him, they couldn't go anywhere. "I understand that you're not ready yet, but I can be patient and I will wait for you. However long it takes." He quickly kissed her cheek and walked out.

Caroline stood there, silently crying and taking in his words. This was not how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to tell him to leave her alone and he was supposed to listen. Why did he have to be so stubborn? She wasn't worth all this, but he just wasn't going to stop. Not until someone made him stop and Caroline had to be the one to do that, or else someone else would.

**Well, there it is! Please, please, please leave me some reviews! And I hope everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving! xoxo**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys! Sorry for the late update, but finals are coming up and I've been really focused on that! But I'm here now and I hope you like this chapter!**

"You've been quiet today."

"Well, not much has happened this week."

Katherine could always tell when Caroline was lying and right now, she was lying through her teeth.

"Are you still taking your medication?"

Caroline was annoyed beyond belief right now. Not only was she stuck in therapy for another half hour, but she was still reeling from her conversation with Klaus on Friday. She needed him to stay away from her, but he was doing everything except for that. It was just like that first week all over again: flirty glances and inappropriate touches. Only this time he made absolutely no effort to be discreet about those touches, attempting to hold her hand anytime they were together. Caroline didn't know how else to make him understand that they couldn't be together. Not while Logan Fell was alive, at least.

"What are you thinking about?" Katherine asked, breaking Caroline from her thoughts.

"I'm thinking about…..how I would love nothing more than to go home right now" Caroline said spitefully. She didn't want to be hateful towards Katherine, but she needed to take her anger out on someone. Why not someone who's getting paid to listen?

Katherine pursed her lips and nodded her head. "So, go home" she said, gesturing towards the door.

"What?" Caroline couldn't believe what she just heard. Katherine took her job very seriously and, considering Caroline was one of her best friends, she took it even more seriously.

Katherine scoffed and said matter-of-factly "you're not fifteen years old anymore, Caroline. If you don't want to be here, you don't have to be. You can leave anytime you want. Hell, you could've stopped coming completely the day you turned eighteen. No one's forcing you to be here, Caroline. You're the one who keeps coming back."

She was right. Why did she keep coming back? She had only started coming in the first place because her aunt and uncle had forced her to. She was an adult with no one to answer to. So, why was she still here?

Katherine could tell that Caroline wanted to leave, but something was keeping her here. They both knew what that something was, but Caroline needed to be the one to say it out loud. But it seemed like she needed a little push.

"Why do you keep coming back, Caroline?"

She knew the answer to that. She had thought about it every time she came to therapy. But thinking it and saying it out loud was two totally different things.

Katherine was staring at her, waiting for an answer. Instead of giving her the one she wanted, however, she said, more to herself than Katherine "that's a good question."

Katherine sighed, feeling defeated. "And you know the answer to that question; you just don't want to say it. You've been coming to see me every Sunday for the past eight years, and I feel like I've barely scratched the surface with you. You keep everything bottled up and you keep everyone out. Why? Why do you keep coming back?"

Throughout her speech, Caroline had begun crying and shaking her head. No, no, no, no, no. She couldn't do this. Picking up her purse, she murmured "I can't do this" and ran out the door, leaving Katherine to simply stare after her.

Why did everyone keep questioning her? Rebekah, Elena, Klaus, and now Katherine. Why couldn't they just leave her to suffer in silence?

Caroline stormed into her apartment, slammed the door behind her, and almost walked right back out. Sitting there, making idle conversation with Elena was Klaus.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Caroline spat out, crossing her arms.

Klaus stood up, holding something black. "You left your jacket at work yesterday. I didn't know if you would need it today, so I brought it over. Elena was just coming back from the gym when she saw me knocking on your door and let me in. I hope it's okay" he said innocently.

When Caroline just kept glaring at him, Elena spoke up. "Of course it's okay. She really appreciates it. Right, Caroline?"

Had it been any other day, Caroline would've said yes and thanked Klaus for bringing over her favorite jacket. But right now, she was pissed off and being nice was the last thing on her mind. "Do you not understand what 'no' means? I told you to leave me alone. If I needed my jacket, I would've went to the office and got it myself. I understand that you've grown some weird schoolboy crush on me, but this is crossing the line. You don't just show up at a coworker's home unannounced; it's completely inappropriate. Leave the jacket, wipe that stupid look off your face, and get out." Before either of them could say anything, she stomped into her room and slammed the door behind her.

Klaus hadn't deserved any of that, but right now she didn't care. Remembering what Klaus had said about the gym earlier, she walked over to her dresser and started picking through her sports bras and leggings. She had just chosen a pink set when Elena threw open her door. But instead of scorning Caroline for her behavior, Elena simply glared at her.

"Don't start Elena, okay? I'm really not in the mood." Elena continued glaring. "And stop looking at me like that." Again, Elena continued glaring. "What do you want me to say, Elena? I'm sorry? Fine, I'm sorry for lashing out like that, but he shouldn't have come over, it's weird. He needed to be put in his place and that's what I did, plain and simple. Yes, I probably could've been a little nicer about it, but I made my point. End of story."

While Caroline was ranting, Elena's glare became a look of understanding, baffling Caroline.

"What?"

"You like him. You really, really like him. You don't want to admit it, but it's true. Klaus apparently realizes this too, which would explain why he didn't seem that upset when he left."

Hearing that left Caroline in complete shock. She had basically called him a lovesick puppy and he was still unfazed.

"You gotta tell him, Care. He's not going anywhere and he deserves to know" Elena spoke softly.

Shuddering slightly, and shedding a stray tear, Caroline said softly "what if he doesn't want me after I tell him?"

Straightening her shoulders and speaking determinedly, Elena said "what if he does? Fifty years from now, do you really wanna be asking yourself 'what if'?"

And with that, Elena gave her a look that said she knew she was right and walked out.

Caroline set the clothing aside and went to sit on her bed. She didn't want to ask 'what if', but the thought of losing Klaus before she even really had him broke her heart. Life was a game of chance and there were no guarantees about anything. He and Klaus could grow and flourish into something amazing or they could crash and burn. But she would never know unless she gave it shot. Before she even decided to do that, however, there was someone she needed to talk to.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Any other man would've been upset about what just had happened, but not Klaus. Caroline's outburst earlier was just one more step in the right direction. The fact that she had been driven to be that rude to him was just another sign that she wanted to be with him. So, when he walked into his family's house sporting a confident smile, his family took notice.

"Well, well, well, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence. You know, it's not nice to leave before I wake, Nik.; makes me feel cheap" Kol said in a mocking hurt tone.

Rebekah spoke next, without looking up from her magazine. "That's probably because you are." Kol narrowed his eyes at her, though she seemed to not care less. "Besides, judging by that smile plastered across his face, I'd say someone is currently ranking higher than you on Klaus' list of priorities. I'm assuming you just came back from seeing Caroline?" she asked, finally looking up from her magazine.

That caused all heads in the room - Elijah included- to turn towards Klaus.

"Ah, yes. Miss Forbes. How is she doing?" Elijah asked innocently enough, although his implied tone could be detected.

Klaus took turn glaring at each of his siblings. Why did he ever think it would be a good idea to share a house with his three siblings? _It will keep us closer,_ Rebekah had argued and usually if Rebekah wanted it, Rebekah got it. All of them, excluding Finn, were all single, so they had all agreed to move in together. It was times like this Klaus always regretted.

"She's fine" was all he said before walking over to the drink cart and pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

"Oh, she's more than fine. What I wouldn't do to wake up to that pretty face every morning" Kol said while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Klaus turned towards his younger brother and the expression _if looks could kill _briefly ran through Kol's mind.

"Careful, Kol. Nik actually likes this one" Rebekah said before Klaus tried to kill Kol for his comment.

"Does he now? Well, we all remember what happened last time he liked a girl. She turned out to be a …..how did you put it, sister?"

"A selfish, gold-digging bitch. All she wanted from Nik was his money. Caroline, however, is different."

Hearing that, Elijah became interested in the conversation again. "Really? How so?"

Rebekah was about to tell him, when she suddenly had a brilliant idea. "Nik, why don't you answer him? This is in fact your relationship we're talking about after all."

Klaus was not one to talk about his feelings, especially to his siblings. But he knew they wouldn't stop bugging him until he did. Sighing and taking another sip of his drink, he said "she just is. I've never had to fight this hard to woo a girl, or even talk to her., for that matter. She likes me, I know that. But for some reason beyond me, which only makes me want her more. She's completely stumped me."

He half expected his siblings to start laughing at him, but they all just started at him in wonderment. Elijah, to his surprise, was the first speak up. "I'm happy that you've found someone you care so much for, Niklaus. After everything our father put you through, you deserve this. But if I may be so bold as to ask, are you sure it's not just simply the chase that's exciting you instead of Miss. Forbes herself?"

Klaus had thought about that before, but if this were the case, he would've left Caroline alone the day he heard her talking to Rebekah. Something terrible had happened to her, and he wanted nothing more than to be the person who got her past all of it.

"I'm sure, Elijah. Caroline's different."

Nodding his head, Elijah seemed to believe him. "Then we'll just have to get her to see that."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Caroline didn't know her schedule, so she didn't know if Katherine was with a patient or not. But she needed to talk to her now or she would chicken out and never come back. She threw her office door open and saw Katherine sitting at her desk reading a file.

"Caroline? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?" Katherine asked, tossing the file and walking over to her.

She nodded her head, not meaning to scare Katherine. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just…" Caroline really didn't know how to explain what she thinking. All she wanted to do was disappear and not have to deal with any of this, but she knew she couldn't do that. Katherine was looking at her, waiting for her to continue.

"I just…..need to talk."

Katherine nodded her head in understanding and led Caroline onto the couch opposite her chair. They both sat down and Katherine waited for her to start talking. Usually, Katherine would begin with asking Caroline some questions about her week, but this session was different.

"I don't really know where to start."

"Why don't you start by telling me what made you want to come back? I mean, you did storm out of here earlier, so something big must have driven you to make you come back so soon."

Caroline figured this seemed easy enough to answer. "Klaus came over. I, um, yelled at him and told him to leave me alone. But that just seemed to make him want me more. Then Elena said that I needed to tell him everything. That he deserves to know because of how much he cares about me."

"And you don't agree with her?"

"No, it's not…..I-I" Caroline began to stutter, becoming flustered under all the pressure she was feeling.

Katherine knew what Caroline was felt, but there was no way she was going to tell her. She needed to her to figure this out herself or she was just say that Katherine was wrong and storm out again.

"What are you really afraid of Caroline?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Logan is not the only thing keeping you from pursuing a relationship and I don't just mean a romantic relationship. If he was the only thing you were afraid of, you would never have become friends with Rebekah and Lexi. Plus, you would've halted all contact with Elena and I. When I was talking to Rebekah at the dress shop, she told me that you only talk to people when they first talk you. Over the past eight years, you've gradually allowed yourself to believe that no one wants anything to do with because of what happened. But you also believe something else and that is what's truly keeping you from being happy. Tell me what it is."

Caroline had begun crying while Katherine talked, knowing everything she said was true. Before the tears could completely overwhelm her, she began answering.

"What if he leaves me? What if, like everyone else, he's suddenly gone? My mom, my dad, Matt, Bonnie..." She was barely able to choke out the last name. "Tyler. They all left me. What if he does, too?"

There it was; the other reason why Caroline didn't want to bring Klaus or anyone else into her life. She was terrified that Klaus was eventually going to leave her, whether it be by Logan's hand or his own.

"They didn't leave you, Caroline, okay? They didn't leave you; they were taken from you. Logan has taken so much from you, but the one thing he can't take from you is your future. Klaus wants your future and he's all but willing to accept your past. But none of this matters if you don't want it. Being with him or not is completely your decision and no one can make it for you. Forget Klaus, forget Logan, and forget everything and everyone else. What do _you _want?"

Caroline looked out the window and thought about her question. What _did_ she want? For the longest time, it wasn't about what she wanted, but what needed to happen. She shut everything and everyone out in order to keep them safe. She didn't want to do that, it was just what had to be done. Now, she was being asked what she wanted. So, what did she want?

"I want….to be more. I'm tired of being girly little Caroline, getting scared of every little thing that goes bump in the night. I don't want to be scared anymore. I don't want to live like this anymore. I don't want to be this person anymore. I want….to be free."

Katherine nodded and smiled proudly at her. "Then be free, Caroline. Stop being afraid and stop making excuses. _You_ are the only person keeping you from being happy. Do what you want and screw anyone who says you can't. Be free, Caroline."

"How?"

"Go after him, Care. He wants you and he's not going anywhere. Start living your life."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Over here, sir."

Jeremy and Alaric had been making their way through Kentucky when they got a call from the Wallace Police Department in Idaho. They'd had anonymous tip come in from a gas station on Fell. Although they didn't want to waste any more time getting to Caroline, they needed to follow every lead. They hopped on the next flight to Idaho and here they were.

The officer led them over to the garage, where CSI was currently taking crime scene photos, and found the owner laying in a pool of his own blood with his throat slit. Upon seeing the body, Alaric and Jeremy felt a quick surge of déjà vu.

"Oh, yeah. This is definitely Fell" Alaric said while putting on a pair of gloves.

"How can you tell?" the officer asked.

Alaric began inspecting the neck wound, his mid drifting back five years ago. "The last time Fell got out, he killed a man for his identity so he could check into the hotel where the prom was being held. This wound is completely identical to his."

"Should we call Karen and Jack?" Jeremy asked.

Alaric took off his gloves and stared at the body. He'd already broken his promise to Jeremy that no one else would die by Logan's hand. But he knew Jeremy was more worried about his sisters than a gas station owner. He was about to answer him when the officer spoke up.

"Are you sure he's even going after her? The owner's car is gone. He could've just killed him for a set of wheels. Just because he broke out doesn't mean he's going to Chicago."

Alaric slowly turned toward the officer, completely stunned by his audacity. Handing Jeremy his gun so he wouldn't be tempted to shoot the man for his stupidity, he walked up to him, completely invading his personal space.

"Do not for a second act like you know even half of what is going on right now. Logan Fell didn't break out just to be free; he broke out because he wants her and he's not going to stop until he gets her. I've worked this case for eight years, losing my partner in the process. I've looked into his eyes and saw nothing but determination to get her. Every day that I talked to him, all he talked about was Caroline: seeing her, smelling her, touching her. And then I had to see her slowly build herself back up from him, just to be torn apart again. I'm not doing that again. We don't have time to waste and right now, you are wasting mine. Tell your boss to keep in touch if he hears anything else and get the hell out of my way."

The officer quickly walked away, not wanting to be on Alaric's bad side any longer.

"C'mon" Alaric said to Jeremy. "He's got a car now and he's already got a lead on us. We have to hurry."

**There it is! Let me know what you think! xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Don't hate me! I could come up with a million different excuses for my delayed update, but they'd all be lies. This chapter has been written for almost three weeks, and pure laziness is my only excuse for not having it up earlier. But I'm here now and I really hope you guys are still interested! Enjoy!**

"It's not polite to stare, you know."

Klaus nearly fell out of his chair, not realizing anyone had been watching him. Caroline had come in almost an hour ago and for that entire hour, he had done nothing but watch her work. Klaus recognized the voice immediately and almost backhanded Kol for startling him.

"Although, if this were my view, I'd have a hard time not staring, too."

Klaus jumped up from his seat, backing Kol up against the opposing the wall. His little brother had twisted sense of humor, and while it normally never bothered him, when it came to Caroline, Kol wasn't allowed to express his opinions whatsoever.

"Say one more word and I'll tear out you liver," Klaus said menacingly.

Kol began laughing and said, "so touchy. You must really like her. With that temper, however, you might end up frightening her away."

Klaus hated to admit it, but Kol was right. If Caroline saw him like this, she might become even more reluctant than she already was.

He slowly moved away from his younger brother and looked behind him to make sure she hadn't seen any of their exchange. Thankfully, she was focused entirely on her computer.

Turning back to Kol's smug grin, Klaus asked, "what do you want anyway?"

"Other than annoying my big brother? I just got done talking to Finn and he asked me to tell you he needs to see you."

"Why?"

"Find out yourself." And with that he walked off.

Klaus rolled his eyes and began making his way towards Finn's office. Luckily, he had to pass by Caroline's desk to get there.

"What are you working on?" he asked, while taking a seat on the edge of her desk.

Without looking away from her computer screen, she answered, "Lauren C. from New Canton submitted an entry late last night and I want to get it done before the morning addition goes out."

"Well, I don't want to slow you down."

"I've had four cups of coffee in the last hour; nothing is going to slow me down."

Klaus felt a smile creep upon his face, admiring her determination. "Coffee is a vial invention and not exactly the healthiest decision."

"Tell that to the five bags of chips in my pantry and the two tubs of ice cream in my freezer. "

That remark earned her a laugh from Klaus and he was surprised that she hadn't brushed him off like she normally did. He decided to push his luck a little further.

"Well, if that's all you have to eat, sweet heart, I supposed I'll just have to take you out for a real dinner sometime," he said boldly, but quite nervous at the same time for her answer.

Caroline finished her article and began standing up to go the copy room. She grabbed her things and turned to him with a sly smirk. "I suppose you will," she said flirtatiously before walking away from him.

Klaus watched her walk away, completely blown away at her answer. Normally, Caroline would've stuttered out some excuse as to why she couldn't go out with him and quickly walked away. But she had done the exact opposite and met him head on. Something had gotten into her and he liked it.

Caroline's surprising behavior had made him completely forget that Finn still needed to see him. Tearing his eyes away from her retreating figure, he made his way to Finn's office.

He knocked on the door and slowly opened it. "You wanted to see me?"

"Niklaus, yes. Please come in and shut the door."

Klaus closed the door and took the seat across from his desk.

"I have a new assignment for you and I need it done by tomorrow morning."

"What is it?"

Finn handed him a manila folder and said, "everything you need to know is in that file. Do me a favor and try to keep this to yourself. The police don't want to cause a complete panic. They just want people to be aware and be careful. I know you have a lot of work to do, so I won't keep you. Make me proud, little brother."

Klaus nodded his head and walked out of his office. While walking back to his desk, he opened the file and began looking it over.

_Thirty-eight year old male escaped from Eastern State Hospital in Washington. Second time put away, escaped four years ago. Unknown woman believed to be reason behind escape. Killed ten people in last eight years. Highly dangerous. _

The file went on to show a picture of the guy, along with his name: Logan Fell. There was no picture of the woman he was supposedly after, stating her and her guardians opted to keeping her identity a secret for safety reasons.

"Whatcha got there?"

Klaus turned around and saw Rebekah looking over his shoulder at the file. He quickly closed it, earning a pout from his younger sister.

"New assignment from Finn. He said to keep it quiet until after it's published. Sorry, Bekah," Klaus said with fake sympathy.

Rebekah gave him a pointed glare and said "whatever" before walking off in the other direction.

Klaus smirked after she left, knowing Rebekah wasn't used to being told no. Glancing back at her, he saw Caroline slip into the break room. Running after her, he entered in after her.

"You know, some people might call this an addiction. "

Caroline looked back at him and let out a small giggle. "Well, those people can shove it because all I'm getting is water. I finished my article, but my caffeine buzz also came with a severe headache."

Klaus chuckled and moved to get his own cup of coffee. He detested to the drink, but it did have its benefits.

"Careful, Mikaleson or you might start your own addiction," Caroline said with a joking smile. "I thought you hated coffee."

Klaus felt a small shiver of happiness go through him as he realized she had actually been listening to him earlier. "I've got my own article to finish up before tomorrow morning, so I'll need all I can get."

"What's the article about?"

He knew he shouldn't tell her, but she finally seemed to be opening up to him and he didn't want to jeopardize that.

"A convict escaped a couple days ago. Says he's highly dangerous and could possibly be passing through."

Caroline raised her eyebrows. "Wow, big story. Now I see why you need the coffee."

Klaus nodded his head, whilst also taking a sip of from his cup.

"You know that's not exactly the healthiest decision," Caroline joked sarcastically, throwing his own words back at him.

Klaus looked at her with a smirk on his face. "You wanna talk about healthy? Talk to your chips and ice cream."

Caroline began to laugh; a sound Klaus realized he could listen to for days.

When she finished, Caroline looked up and noticed Klaus staring at her with an awestruck expression. Looking at the floor and feeling her face turning red, she asked "what?"

Klaus set his coffee cup on the counter and went to lean on the table across from her. "You're different. You're not running away or yelling at me anymore."

Caroline looked down at the floor in embarrassment, remembering their last encounter together. "I'm sorry about that. Yelling at you. My day had sucked and I took it out on you."

Klaus waved his hand, saying dismissively, "all is forgiven. I've lost count of how many times I've lashed out at someone who didn't deserve it. But you did hate me last time we talked, so what happened?"

Caroline's head shot up at his statement. "I never hated you. I just…." She sighed not knowing how to phrase it.

Klaus stood up from the table and went to stand in front of her. "You just what?"

She sighed again and threw her cup in the trash so she was free to hold his hands. As soon as she did, she felt a sense of warmth she hadn't felt in a long time go through her body.

"I can't tell you everything right now. It's complicated and I'm just not ready for you to know yet. I can't guarantee you that this is going to be easy or that I'm not gonna freak out sometimes." She let out a shaky sigh, feeling slightly overwhelmed. If she told him all this, there was no going back. But surprisingly, she didn't want to go back. "I am tired of letting my past control who I am and who I am becoming. Eight years of my life I'll never get back and I've let those years define me. That ends today. If you can promise me that we can take things slow….I'd like to give us a shot."

Klaus took in a deep breath, not believing what he was hearing right now. He wanted nothing more than to scoop her up in his arms and tell her that everything would be okay. He wanted to grab her by those golden locks and kiss her until they both drunk off each other. But he knew she wanted and she _needed _to take things slow.

"There are never any guarantees about anything, Caroline. You've got a past, who doesn't? This _isn't _going to be easy, by any means, but anything worth fighting for never is. As long as you're fighting, I'm staying."

Caroline broke into one of the biggest smiles she's ever experienced. This was all she wanted: someone to fight for her. But there was one question she needed to ask.

"Why?"

"Because right here, right now, all I want is you."

Caroline blushed slightly, but couldn't stop the smile from breaking across her face.

"So, this whole 'taking things slow' idea is a little new to me, so help me out: would a lunch date tomorrow be too fast?"

Caroline grimaced and sucked in a breath. "Not so much the lunch date, but just being alone with you would be too fast, not to mention a little dangerous."

"Well, then what do you propose?" he asked, while also smirking at her comment about them being alone.

Caroline thought for a moment and quickly came up with the perfect idea. "The gala. You don't have to pay for my dinner and there will be plenty of people around. Plus, I get to show you up on the dance floor."

"I highly doubt that, sweetheart. I am British, remember? Dancing is second nature," he said with a smirk.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "We'll see."

Klaus smiled at her, loving their playful banter. _This _is the Caroline he wanted all along.

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Finding the body of the gas station owner had slowed Alaric and Jeremy down considerably on their way to Chicago. It was possible that Logan was already there, depending on if he had run into anymore obstacles. They were about two hours from the state line when Jeremy spoke up.

"We should call Caroline. Fell could be looking through her bedroom window right now and she has no idea."

Alaric shook his head, quickly shooting down his idea. "If we call and tell her, we'll completely undo all the progress she's made. Plus, we'll cause a panic that's not necessary."

"Last time you said that, he ended up killing eight people."

Alaric's hands tightened on the steering wheel and his face turned a dark red. Jeremy was right and it killed Alaric to have to admit it. If he had gotten Caroline out of that hotel as soon as he got there, no one would've died that night. He wasn't about to relive that.

"Call Elena. She's staying with Caroline right now and she's one of the only people that understands how dangerous Fell is. Tell her to not tell Caroline, just to take the necessary precautions to keep them both safe."

Jeremy pulled out his phone and began dialing her number.

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"Hello?"

"Hey, Elena."

"Jeremy! This is a nice surprise. How are you doing?"

Good, good. How are you?"

"Doing good. Is everything okay? You sound nervous."

"Yeah, everything's fine. Um, are you with Caroline right now?"

"Uh, no. She's at the gym. Why?"

"Okay, Elena. I have something I need to tell you, but before I do, you have to promise not to tell Caroline."

"Jer, what are you-"

"Promise me, Elena."

"Okay, okay, I promise. Now what's going on?"

"…..Logan Fell has escaped."

Elena completely froze. She vaguely heard Jeremy saying her name, trying to regain her attention. This could not be happening, not again.

"Elena!"

She finally broke out of her daze and asked, "when?"

"About a week and a half ago."

"What?! And you're just now telling me?! What the hell, Jeremy!"

"Listen, we didn't want to cause a panic. Caroline doesn't need to know about this right now."

"Are you crazy?! Of course she needs to know! He could be in the city at this very moment."

"And we know that, which is why we're telling you. You're the only person to have ever survived an attack from Logan, besides Caroline. Plus, you're the only person from her past she has left. You can protect her until we get there and figure out a plan to catch him. But if you tell Caroline, she'll completely shut down. Just keep her close to you when you can. Tell one of her coworkers to keep a watch on her while she's working, but don't tell them why. No one else needs to know about him. Can you do this, Elena?"

"Of course. But she's smart and she's going to start to question why everyone keeps following and watching her every move."

"Give her some bogus excuse. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Okay, Jeremy. Love you."

"Love you, too. See you soon."

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**Let me know what you think in the reviews! And again, I'm sorry for the long wait! xoxo**


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